The Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management of UPLB (UPLB-INREM), under “The Integration of Traditional and Modern Bioproduction System for a Sustainable and Resilient Future Under Climate and Ecosystem Changes (ITMoB)” project, concluded a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) on August 6-8, 2024 to further investigate the sustainability and economic viability of bioproduction systems in the Baroro Watershed in La Union.

The ITMoB project evaluates the factors influencing farmers’ decisions to adopt specific bioproduction systems (BPS) through Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) and the optimal choice among several BPS alternatives based on trade-offs between costs and benefits.

These activities took place over three days across six municipalities in La Union, namely: Bagulin, San Fernando, Santol, San Gabriel, Bacnotan, and San Juan involving farmers and LGU representatives.

A diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), and Municipal Planning and Development Office (MPDO) of various local government units, along with farmers representing key BPS in Baroro Watershed, specifically monocrop rice, rice-based, vegetable-based, corn-based and tiger-grass based, participated in the FGD and KII.

Leizl Grefalda, ITMoB project specialists, and Kharmina Paola Anit-Evangelista, an ITMoB DOST Great Scholar, and the project research staff led in the implementation of the activities.

Both Grefalda and Anit-Evangelista are assistant professors at the Department of Social Forestry and Forest Governance and the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources, respectively.

The Municipal Agriculture Offices of the six municipalities provided the venue and coordinated with the farmers who participated in the FGD and KII.

The analysis and highlights generated from the FGD and KII are crucial inputs for identifying potential synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services.

These findings, along with the overall conclusions and recommendations of the project, will be reported back to all watershed stakeholders before the conclusion of the project.

ITMoB is a three-year (2021-2024) cooperative research project between the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia through the E-Asia Joint Research Program. The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development is funding the project’s implementation in the Philippines. (Pia Montoya, Jeffrey Andrew Losloso, & Laizha Lynn Lomente-Gacutan)